The time will come — and soon — when the once cutting-edge e-reader will hit the e-wastebasket, according to a technology-research firm.

E-readers like the original Kindle and Nook have been embraced by reading fans who are attracted by the e-ink technology that makes reading digital books similar to the experience of a real book.

But with tablets becoming easier on the wallet, consumers don’t seem to mind the less-natural reading experience — especially since tablets like the iPad offer more Internet and media options.

E-reader shipments will fall 36 percent this year to 14.9 million units, after peaking at 23.2 million last year, according to a report from IHS iSuppli yesterday.

“The stunning rise and then blazing flameout of [e-readers] perfectly encapsulate what has become an axiomatic truth in the industry: Single-task devices like the [e-reader] are being replaced without remorse in the lives of consumers by their multifunction equivalents, in this case by media tablets,” IHS iSuppli said.